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The GoodThe lightweight design and extra-comfy earpads of the Shure SRH1840 Professional Open Back Headphones ensure high comfort over long listening sessions. These ruggedly built headphones also come with an extra set of detachable cables and replacement earpads.

The BadThese are expensive, stay-at-home or studio headphones.

The Bottom LineOne of Shure's first open-back designs, the SRH1840 headphones are comfortable and light, and the sound will surely thrill demanding audiophiles.

Shure's extensive range of earphones and closed-back full-size headphones have been available for some time, but the new SRH1840 and SRH1440 are the company's first open-back, circumaural (over-ear) headphones. Even before you listen, you can't help but feel how light the SRH1840 headset is, and its velour cushions put hardly any pressure on your ears.

The SRH1840 Professional Open Back Headphones are designed for stay-at-home or studio use, so they won't play at satisfyingly loud volume levels when used with most portable devices and phones. The SRH1840s are expensive at $699, but their sound quality and high-grade construction materials are commensurate with the lofty MSRP. The sound is beautifully balanced from the deepest bass to the highest treble, and its minimal distortion will surely win the approval of any audiophile willing to make the investment.

Design and features
The Shure SRH1840 headphones feature a lightly padded, steel headband and lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum "yokes" (that's the part where the headband connects to the earcups). The points where the yoke attaches to the cups are also heavily reinforced with stainless-steel grilles for enhanced durability.

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If those fail, Shure offers a generous two-year warranty on the SRH1840s -- twice as long as the average for headphones. Shure's Authorized Distribution Centers handles service and repairs in the U.S., but a sales receipt or proof of purchase is required to make warranty claims. Beyond the two-year policy, Shure will still provide service, or offer a heavily discounted price for replacement headphones.

The SRH1840 comes with two identical sets of 6.9-foot cables that terminate in a 3.5mm gold-plated plug. A screw-on 6.3mm adapter plug is included with both sets. The wire is also heavily reinforced at the plug point, which should significantly reduce the chance of failure.

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The cables plug into the headphones' left and right earcups with snug-fitting connectors; according to Shure, the connector isn't proprietary and is now used on almost all of company's full-size and in-ear headphones. The SRH1840 also comes with an extra set of earpads.

Unfortunately, the open-back nature of the SRH1840 design rules out any chance of private listening. On the other hand, you're not completely closed off from your surroundings while you're wearing them, so you can pay more attention to the events in your environment.

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The SRH1840 headphones' left and right 40mm drivers, with neodymium magnets, are tested and closely matched at the factory. All full-size Shure headphones with model names that end in "40" have 40mm drivers, but the design specifics of the driver and magnet structure, voice coil, and so on vary from one model to the next. Incidentally, the SRH1840 headphones' drivers are Shure's premium type.

About The Author

Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has also worked as a high-end audio salesman, and as a record producer. Steve currently reviews audio products for CNET and works as a freelance writer for Home Theater, Inner Fidelity, Tone Audio, and Stereophile.